Thousands of refugee children in Egypt are unable to attend school due to bureaucratic barriers and limited public education access. Human Rights Watch urges the government to address these issues and calls for international support to fund education for displaced children.
Residency requirements prevent many refugees from enrolling in schools, and high costs for enrollment and supplies worsen the problem. Discrimination and bullying at schools further discourage attendance, leaving families with few safe options.
Egypt hosts over 834,000 refugees, with nearly half of the 246,000 school-age children out of school. Despite a growing need, public education access remains restricted, and informal schools often face government crackdowns.
Egyptian law limits free public education to citizens, violating international treaties guaranteeing education for all children. Refugees often face insurmountable obstacles, such as residency requirements, that exclude them from schooling.
Human Rights Watch calls on Egypt to remove these barriers and reduce fees to ensure education for all. International donors must also step up funding to support programs for displaced children and secure their future.